tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51686062011219828712024-03-15T01:18:43.012+13:00The Kirkpatrick's Trek to NZColin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.comBlogger204125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-88341177641791262532011-05-23T14:44:00.003+12:002011-05-23T19:06:21.367+12:00Easter in Bali<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5609737503357665777%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCO22wKX4pcCSXg%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />Easter morning I again woke early, even before Colin and Liam. I snuck out for my morning walk. I was surprised by the heavy traffic on the tiny road past our villa to the beach. Motorbike after motorbike whizzed by. Some motor bikes carried families of four – dad driving with one baby in his lap and mom riding on the back sidesaddle with child number two, cradled in the crook of her arm, sandwiched between her and dad. Workers in pointy straw hats were already bent over in the rice fields along the way. They were tending the rice fields, cutting grass and re-tethering cows. I thought 6:30 am was early, but the world around me was wide-awake. Everyone seemed busy with the day’s work.<br /><br />I was completely blown away by the beach scene. Thursday and Friday morning I had nodded to the occasional fellow beach walker. And, there had been a handful of surfers tiptoeing across the sand and paddling out to the breakers. But on this morning there were literally thousands of people up and down the beach as far as I could see. The beach access and sand dunes were clogged with motorbikes. The strangest thing was how calm, peaceful and quiet the scene was. There were so many people and so little noise and commotion. I started my walk down the beach weaving through family groups having breakfast picnics. Some people sat at the water line letting the waves wash around them. Children in hushed tones played in the shallow surf. Hundreds, may be thousands, of offering baskets dotted the beach in bright fruity and floral colors against the black sand. I couldn’t help smiling at the happy scene and everyone smiled right back with a small nod and Namaste gesture, which I returned.<br /><br />Back at the villa, the staff explained that the beach gathering I witnessed was part of the Saraswati celebration. People including our staff, because they had to make breakfast for us, started heading to the beach around 4 am to participate in the cleansing ritual. <br /><br />My walk to the beach was the highlight of the day, and one of the highlights of the trip. It was so powerfully happy and beautiful.<br /><br />By the time I snuck back up to our guesthouse, Doug was just waking up and the boys were bouncing off the walls, ready to begin the Easter hunt. Each had found the end of yarn tied to their bed. Colin had blue and Liam’s yarn was green. Both knew the other end of the yarn was tied to their Easter surprise. Yarn crisscrossed the guesthouse and yard, out windows, over the balconies, across the pool, through the trees, under tables, and in and out of cabinets. So as the rest of the villa tried to sleep, the hunt began! We discovered at the end of the hunt that there were yummy, dark chocolate Easter ducks, instead of eggs or bunnies, in Bali. <br /><br />The hunt and some pool time was the extent of our activity for the day. Our friends all took off for shopping and touring, but we hung by the pool all day, playing games and reading and napping. It was a perfect day.<br /><br />By late afternoon, everyone returned for massages en masse and we headed to David and Jed’s for Easter dinner Indonesian style.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-89272757402949023012011-05-18T09:15:00.011+12:002011-05-18T19:32:53.845+12:00Pera Penataran Agung<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5607532688610263649%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCPuJo9uTlsTZmwE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />Day Two, we had a full group trip. We again jumped in our caravan of minivans. Natutu, a lifelong Indonesian friend of David and Jed’s became our car mate. Natutu has actually lived most of his adult life overseas and San Francisco is his current home, but he was much more knowledgeable about Bali than any of us and became our go-to-man for all questions on local geography, customs and trivia. We really enjoyed hanging out and getting to know Natutu! Though he doesn’t have children, he was a great sport traveling with our rambunctious family!<br /><br />I am not going to give a lot of background info on our sightseeing because quite frankly I am a bit sheepish about my Bali knowledge. I was not as researched this trip as I usually am. None of us were. This trip snuck up on all of us at the end of a hectic semester. We were all in the mood to go with the flow and absorb the sight and sounds and to enjoy time with each other and our friends. We were learning about Bali on the fly. We luckily had an advantage of sightseeing with friends who shared their love of their home. But now I have definite thoughts on where and what I want to see and do if I am ever lucky enough to ever return to Indonesia with more time to explore. I will share these ideas in my last Bali post.<br /><br />On this outing, we first headed east winding our way 3000 feet up the side of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Agung">Gunung Agung </a> to <a href="http://www.balihomeland.net/2011/01/greatness-of-pura-besakih-on-mount-agung-feet/">Pura Penataran Agung </a>, described as Bali’s biggest and most important temple. It is actually part of a complex of over twenty temples. <br /> <br />Our friend David was actually at this temple in 1963 for the Eka Dasa Rudra ceremony, which is performed every 100 years to purify the world. David told a wild story of racing down the mountain with thousands of others and ultimately jumping in a stranger's vehicle to escape as an angry Gunung Agung erupted. The temple was untouched by the eruptions, however thousands of people in the surrounding areas were killed. <br /><br />The day of our visit was <a href="http://www.bali-indonesia.com/culture/festival.htm">Saraswati</a>, a day devoted to the Goddess of knowledge, art and literature. Special offerings are made on this day for wisdom and knowledge. At first glance photographs may seem to show the temple covered with litter. Actually, the contents of thousands of small, square offering baskets were scattered everywhere as people stepped through them and stray dogs scavenged for treats. The offerings are beautiful. Most are little baskets holding flowers and fruit with an incense stick emitting tiny wisps of spicy smoke. Some are much more extravagant towers of treats and flowers. They are everywhere in the temple, but also in driveways, in shop doorways or on a rock at the edge of the beach all over Bali.<br /><br />While much of the temple is open to tourists, some areas are open only to worshipers. The whole visit was a feast for the eyes with vibrant colors and views all the way to the ocean. David took the four of us into a small temple open to non-Hindus to take part in a prayer and receive a blessing. For our bookworm family Saraswati seemed the perfect day to be there.<br /><br />On the way home we drove by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Batur">Gunung Batur </a>(Mount Batur), an active volcano. From the balcony at lunch, we could survey the lava fields wrapping around the base of the mountain. Unfortunately, the two calderas are obscured by clouds in our photos. <br /><br />Natutu explained that Balinese cultural and society has historically linked to each family's ancestral village and that religion is deeply interwoven. However, at the same time the people of Bali seemed open and tolerant of other religions and people. At least based on the initial impressions of a tourist who was able to wander, photo and observe Saraswati celebrations within a revered temple.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-70229017229968330252011-05-16T16:38:00.014+12:002011-05-18T14:28:29.750+12:00Arrival in BaliSo I am finally uploading the first installment of Bali photos taken the first day of our trip. Sorry for the delay in sending out pictures. Doug and I had a difficult re-entry to home life in New Zealand – he’s been experimenting unsuccessfully with hosting E. coli and I’ve had a sinus infection. We are on the mend. I have finally edited the photos and now can share our adventure with you in daily installments.<br /><br />Arriving in a new foreign unknown country in an exhausted daze, feeling drugged and dopey and in a fog but trying to navigate through signs and cues in a different language with unfamiliar smells and cadences gives me a rush, a feeling of embarking on an exotic adventure full of unknown opportunities and new sensations.<br /><br />Looking at Colin and Liam as we stumbled off our third airplane into a hot, humid Denpasar night about twenty hours after leaving Closeburn, I realized that traveling to a foreign country doesn’t have the same whiff of exotic to them. They’ve literally been doing this their whole life. It is their normal. They are so open to trying new foods and roll with sleeping slumped in chairs on or off planes. As a child I always ordered the safe and familiar fried egg over easy. Recently in Malaysia our family had a so much fun at a buffet seeing who could find the most interesting food to try. The boys – Doug, Colin & Liam – are much more adventurous than me. (Hmm, after watching Doug battle an intestinal monster the last two weeks, maybe I am the smartest one of our group.) Liam wrote the beginning to a creative writing piece that gives a sense to his reality. In the end, he felt his airplane piece fizzled out and he took his writing a different direction but I love his opening about airline travel and it is included at the end of this post.<br /><br />On arrival in Bali, I was feeling fairly punchy. I had only arrived back to New Zealand from Boston Tuesday morning. I had no idea how to translate the local Bali time to NZ time, or Boston time. My body was just as clueless at deciding if it should sleep or wake. In fact, I actually did not even have the remotest idea which direction we were headed. Come to find out neither did Doug. I am usually the family’s well-organized trip planner/tourist guide. I have been preoccupied. I bought a book on Bali in the US but hadn’t been peaked inside it yet. Fortunately our friend Jed had said “just get to the airport in Denpasar” and he would arrange things from there. He did! <br /><br />As we approached customs, a small woman approached us. She was wearing a baby pink suit though she may have been wearing baby blue. I just remember the suit looked like the color of baby clothes, which is important because we would have to find her in a sea of people later. The women asked if we were the Kirkpatricks and if she could have all our travel documents. We willingly gave her our documents and were swept past the customs lines to baggage claim. She returned to process our entry into Bali. We collected our bags. While we waited for the woman to re-appear, Liam announced he needed a bathroom immediately, took off to the far side of baggage claim and disappeared out of sight. A small voice inside my head noted that I had given away all our family identification, I had lost sight of my oldest son in a literally foreign land and that maybe I should take control of the situation. But then I decided to just sit and rest on the edge of the luggage cart. Both Liam and the customs woman returned. <br /><br />By the time we exited immigration our family of four had swelled to an entourage of seven. We had the four of us, our customs woman and two porters. We only had five bags total for our family of four. Doug tipped the first porter thinking the two could share the tip but the first porter pocket the tip, smiled and pointed at the second porter. We’d been had but we were through arrivals faster than ever possible in NZ or the US so Doug paid up. I learned later from friends that we were really fortunate to fly through the arrivals process, especially on the Thursday night before Easter weekend. Customs can take several hours without a customs assistant. <br /><br />Amazingly in the dense airport chaos our customs lady found our driver and off into the dark we lurched. <br /><br />Traffic in Bali is like no other. Like many places, Bali traffic is manic and congested to a standstill and clogged with motorbikes on all sides. However, it is without angst and aggression. The horn is used in tiny polite beeps to warn motorbikes that you are approaching and passing. I have never been in such slow, patient and friendly traffic.<br /><br />David and Jed organized a villa just down the street from their place for all of the New Zealand guests. Our friends were asleep when we arrived but staff greeted us with chilled wash clothes and fruity cold drinks we guzzled as we tiptoed past the other guest rooms to our two-story guesthouse just beyond the pool at the end of the walkway. We all showered away the airport grime and crashed. <br /><br />As I always do in a new place, I woke with the first light to take an exploratory walk. And, as usual, I headed for the water. Walking briskly the ocean is nine minutes down the one-lane road. The waves are huge and crash thunderously onto the beach. I was at Echo Beach. Back at the villa, I googled Echo Beach to discover it is a popular surf beach which was obvious with all the surfers. I found the video below on YouTube. I also figured out we were in Canggu, northwest of Denpasar, about 20 minutes from Seminyak. <br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PYZHaxsLfaQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Sorry there aren’t any pictures of the boys from our first day. The boys wanted to avoid all travel. They skipped the trip to the temple to hang out at David and Jed’s and play in the pool with their giant water-loving golden retriever named Milo. They were in good hands with David and Jed as well as their staff. The boys rested, lounged in the villa, played in the pool and ate ham and cheese sandwiches and sodas. Doug and I with the camera headed out in our caravan of dark SUVs and minivans to brave the Bali traffic and visit Pura Luhur Ulu Watu.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.uluwatu.org/uluwatu.shtml">Pura Luhur Ulu Watu </a>is perched on the cliffs at the southern tip of Bali. It is one of several temples to the spirits of the sea. A Javanese priest first established a temple in this spot in the 11th century. Swirling seas and swells surround the temple’s peninsula and I felt respect and awe for this place that honors the spirits of the seas. <br /><br />We were warned to remove hats, glasses, jewelry or anything a monkey might fancy. Monkeys wandered all over and around the temple. I had never seen a monkey outside a zoo. I discovered they are smart, sneaky and not necessarily cuddly. The first couple of monkeys were cute, like a mother monkey playing with its baby along an old stone wall. We ohhed and ahhed. Then we saw a monkey eat a guy’s hat. He was not giving it back. As we left the temple, we watched a human mother carrying her daughter. A monkey reached up, grabbed a pink croc off the toddler’s foot and then the girl’s hat right out of the mother’s hand. The monkey climbed up on the wall to finger its catch. The little girl started to cry. A man, trying to help, made a swipe to grab the hat. The monkey screeched and gnashed with huge, long and sharp canine teeth exposed. Nobody else dared approach the monkey. Finally, a savvy local woman came along and traded some fruit for the hat and croc. A stray dog bit Colin in Mexico several years ago and Colin went through the whole series of rabies shots. Rabies is rampant in Bali in the monkey and dog populations. I respectively watched the monkeys from a distance. <br /><br />More tomorrow or very soon, if I get distracted. All you Grands, I promise.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5607184378349440785%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCJvvhI3R9ePaMg%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br /><br />Liam’s take on airline travel:<br /><br />“Last call for Air New Zealand flight 5 to Auckland.” And once again, I am in the air. Seat 54 A currently is not the place to be. The tray table is slightly sticky, a reminder on a long gone apple juice. The seat has lost all its color from years of use. Smudges distort the TV screen. A lunch consisting primarily of rubber and plastic is slowly making its way down the aisle. <br /><br />As I sit here chewing on particularly plastic piece of fruit, I watch one TV show for the third time in an hour, I smile. I picture stepping of this plane and seeing my family. I realize that school is over and I have a whole summer before me. Then the toddler in the seat behind me kicks my seat and I am jerked into the present.<br />Then the lights fade to be replaced by the constant drone of the engine and the buzzing of devices all around the plane. Two rows back a flight attendant cleans up dinner. I settle into a sleeping position. And my back hurts. So I move. Then I can’t fit my legs. <br /><br />Many movements later, the lights come on. How the night passed I do not know. It seems days since I entered this long metal tube. I am tired and want to go to bed, but another meal, this time with the fragrance of the apple I found in my bag two weeks after I had lost it there. This is accompanied by a cheap juice in a cup that crumples as I hold it. <br /><br />The TV shows a small airplane slowly moving in on a dot labeled destination. As the plane inches towards the end of its journey I just sit here staring at it. I would like to read my book to change to another channel or to listen to my IPod but I am slightly comfortable and too exhausted to move. Then the captain says our landing is delayed.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-60582463486507045892010-10-04T11:55:00.004+13:002010-10-04T12:40:56.348+13:00These boys don't know the meaning of coldWe were on our way to Mt. Hutt for the South Island Championships several weekends ago but the races were cancelled. Gale force winds closed the ski field. We u-turned for home. The boys were disappointed but I was quietly relieved to avoid a six hour drive in the snow. The boys put on their togs (Colin w/ goggles) and raced outside for a jump on the trampoline - their version of a snow dance celebration! Afterwards they had hot baths, we popped popcorn, made a fire, curled up to watch a movie as huge snowflakes swirled around the house. <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5523948068943359057%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCLjpxrzUt5y8tQE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-65275082536282481512010-01-18T12:40:00.005+13:002010-01-18T22:39:57.383+13:00Day 5 - Cruise on Milford SoundWe woke with sore muscles, but relaxed knowing that the big event for the day was a cruise on Milford Sound. We only had to walk downstairs for breakfast and then up the road about ten minutes to the boat terminal. Colin, Liam and I cruised Milford Sound with the Reed grandparents last February, but it was Doug's first time on Milford Sound. <br /><br />In Fiordland, the mood seems to change dramatically with the weather. We cruised Doubtful Sound with the Kirkpatrick grandparents in April 2008, Milford Sound with the Reed Grandparents in February 2009 and then Millford Sound for a second time at the end of our Milford Track walk in December 2009. <br /><br />With the Kirkpatricks, the day was wet and misty. The dark clouds never lifted. The whole world was wrapped in shades of grey and deep blue. Waterfalls flowed from every crevice. The water was inky, dark, and impenetrable. The sounds were a spooky, haunted, wild kind of beautiful.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fdougkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5198158403089829457%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCI3B24TlpPeYAQ%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />On our recent cruise, the sun shone and the sound sparkled in vibrant colors. The water shimmered Caribbean blue. Green cliffs in the foreground popped against the deep blues of the distant mountains. Rata trees blossomed bright red amongst the beech. The sound looked ready for Christmas!<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5427855055768436161%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCLSqhfCKjaiCngE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />Our trip with the Reeds offered a mixture of both sun, cloud and mist.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5427442624392617185%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCK7wmJz05IGgZg%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />The common question is which should I visit, Doubtful and Milford Sound? I think that there are two factors to consider. First, how much time do you have or want to spend? Second, how remote do you want to feel? Both sounds are stunning and breathtaking. There are fewer boats and almost no air traffic on Doubtful Sound. Doubtful feels more isolated and remote. To reach Doubtful Sound, however, requires a boat ride across Lake Manapouri and then a bus ride over Wilmot Pass. I think the roundtrip is about 8 hours. On Milford Sound there are several day trips, one is about an hour and a half and the other is about two to two and a half hours. There are also overnight cruises on both sounds. We did an overnight cruise on Doubtful Sound, which seemed worth the extra time and expense because the trip to the sound was so long. Out on Doubtful Sound late at night without lights or sounds of civilization, except for a few stars blinking between clouds, was magical. On the overnight trip, there was also an opportunity for a short kayak. When I return to one of the sounds, I would like to do a kayaking trip.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-43919192817167790722010-01-12T18:35:00.016+13:002010-01-15T06:43:10.863+13:00Day 4 - The Milford Track<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5426112973807252449%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCJjpuc3K48e2-AE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br /><a href="http://nzbirds.com/birds/weka.html">Wekas</a> were the highlight of the Day 4. The first weka of the day was shy, poking under the bushes along the trail and completely ignoring us. We couldn't get a good look at it. I wouldn't have even seen it if another walker hadn't shown it to us. The next weka was just strutting down the middle of the trail, like a hunched old man. Lucy almost walked right up to it, but I glimpsed it over her shoulder ahead on the trail. Our two-family group madly snapped photos and at the same time tried to stay still and quiet. Our final weka of the day was hanging out on a bridge giving the impression that it was accustomed to the steady flow of walkers and wasn't going to change plans on our account. The weka reminds me of a Kiwi with a shorter beak. <br /><br />Mackay Falls didn't have the raw power of the Sutherland Falls, but it had symmetry, sweeping lines and seemed to glow and shimmer in the early morning sun and mist. The kids were more taken with Bell Rock, but I spent our break gazing at the falls. Unfortunately, we didn't get a good photo of it.<br /><br />Colin seemed powered by conversation. He walked and chatted with each person he met on the trail. He sped up to stay alongside, initiating conversations that seemed more free-association musings and questions. <br /><br />I heard him ask one fellow hiker, "so, do you think I have drank enough water in my life to fill an entire car?' <br /><br />Not waiting for an answer, he continued on about "how much better it was to hike in Milford with water everywhere than on the Lycian Way in Turkey where Liam almost died without water and the water was brown and dirty. In fact, my mom found a wasp nest in my bed." <br /><br />Eventually Colin would slow down and fall behind his trail companion. But soon another victim would try to pass him and off he'd go walking at top speed in conversation again.<br /><br />Several miles before lunch, Colin was running out of conversation topics and hikers when our guide Donna came along and suggested they try to come up with type of chocolate for every letter of the alphabet. Down the trail went Donna and Colin. "Cadbury chocolate." "Dark chocolate." "Extra dark chocolate." "Frosting chocolate." Donna also mentioned we were having chocolate mud cake for the celebration dinner at Mitre Peak Lodge, which helped to reinvigorate Colin.<br /><br />Lunch at Giant Gate Falls helped all of us recharge. The fine mist from the falls kept the sandflies at bay and we sat at the edge of the pool across from the falls. We only had 3.5 miles to go, I encouraged Colin. Funny, on the trail Colin looked exhausted, but at lunch he immediately perked up and joined Lucy and Liam skipping rocks. I have no idea what Liam and Lucy were up to or discussing on the trail because they stayed out front and out of range of the parents.<br /><br />After lunch, everyone hit the trail with renewed energy. Colin was chugging along, but by the last mile he started to resemble a weka. He was waddling along, muttering to himself or me. At one point, he missed a turned in the trail and started to disappear straight into the bush. Doug and I grabbed the back of his pack and turned him around. I walked the rest of trail hand-in-hand with Colin singing silly songs to pass the remaining miles. <br /><br />I started the last day of the hike worrying how Colin would manage and wondering whether he'd be able to make the 13-mile (21 km) walk? His longest walk to date was 7 miles. Along the track there are mile markers that tick off each mile. Colin walked marker to marker. Even at the end, when he was stumbling along the last mile of trail, he insisted on carrying all his own gear. I was so proud of him.<br /><br />Liam was an ox. He walked unfazed by distance or load. He ran the last couple of miles with Lucy and Donna. I am was proud of Liam too, but mostly I am hopeful he'll soon be carrying my load on our backpacking adventures. <br /><br />Each arrival at Sandfly Point shelter was greeted with cheers and applause from fellow hikers. Seeking refuge from the sandflies in the shelter, we waited for our boat, commiserated about sore feet and joints, and celebrated with chocolate biscuits! Sitting in the back of the boat crossing Milford Sound under a huge blue sky was heaven.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-79193534653531307942010-01-11T14:34:00.018+13:002010-01-12T10:21:41.725+13:00Back to Day 3 on the Milford TrackSorry for the delay on pictures from Day 3 of the our Milford trek. We began the New Year by heading up north to kayak the Abel Tasman with American friends, Sarah, Morgan, Colly and Kyle Smith. Sarah and I have been friends since before I have memories. Morgan, Sarah, Doug and I all went to high school together. Both our families reconnected in the San Francisco Bay Area over 10 years ago right before our oldest, Colly and Liam, were born. The kids don't have many memories of each other, but I remember baby Colly in every detail. She was the first friend's baby I ever held. The Smiths are in the middle of an amazing family adventure traveling around the world. You can follow their journey on their <a href="http://away-together.com/">blog</a>. Sarah also already posted pictures and vivid account of our joint kayaking trip.<br /><br />Back to the Milford Track. Day 3 was my favorite day. We hiked up and over MacKinnon Pass, five miles up and four miles down. In the group briefing, the guide described eleven major and six minor switchbacks to the top of the pass. The kids kept close count of the switchbacks charting our progress up the mountainside. With most of our mountain pass experience in the Sierras and Rockies, Doug and I were pleasantly surprised how easy the climb was. We were used to gasping for air at high altitude, but the top of Mackinnon pass is only 1154 meters (3786 feet) high. The tundra-landscape, dotted with tarns, reminded me of the high alpine Sierras but greener in the valleys below. Clouds and mist passed and occasionally looked threatening, but we had a dry, windless day of hiking. We had heard the stories about the group two days ahead of us. They had to hike back down to Pompolona Lodge for a second night, because literally gale forces winds were whipping over the pass. A DOC ranger described parents holding kids down on the ground to keep them from blowing off the pass. Instead, our time on the top of the pass was civilized and calm. Our guide Sam had a thermos of hot chocolate waiting for us. We sipped and soaked in the breathtaking vistas in all directions. Our only worries were the thug-like Keas lurking around our packs, looking for something to steal.<br /><br />The main trail down from the hut was still blocked by snow so we had to take an alternative route which seemed more of a stream bed than a trail, and on a rainy day would probably have been a waterfall. I carefully stepped down the rocks. The kids scampered down without the slightest hesitation. The last sight of Colin was his orange bump of a pack as he bunny hopped rock to rock down the mountain. I wasn't surprised that night when he told me the bottom of his feet were sore and bruised! Doug, like a gentleman, walked with me.<br /><br />By the time we reached the lodge, Colin, Liam and their friend Lucy had finished a snack and drink. Colin was snuggled in the sun on the sofa in the main lodge. Lucy and her family joined the Kirkpatricks minus Colin for a walk to Sutherland Falls. Colin decided to stay in the lodge and conserve his energy for the final hike on Day 4. <br /><br />Liam and I put on our swimsuits and planned to take a dip below the falls. I don't know what we were thinking. <a href="http://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/new-zealand-sutherland-falls.html">Sutherland Falls</a>, if not the highest, is one of the mightiest waterfall in New Zealand. It sounded like a jet engine revving for take off as we approached. I don't think we got within 100 feet of the waterfall. It created a fury of wind and water. Even in our rain jackets we were soaked. We only have pictures that glimpse the falls from a distance to keep the camera dry.<br /><br />The day ended with all of us passed out in our bunks just as the sun was setting.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5425319991803759825%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCOrLx7-vpv65qgE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-60698902382394823962009-12-29T18:01:00.004+13:002009-12-30T08:09:36.484+13:00Day 2 - The Milford Track<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5420513989374218081%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCPKluozTidjSoQE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />The second day we we're making our sack lunches by 7 am and on the trail by 8. Between waking and hitting the trail, the clouds dissipated and blue skies appeared. Our group included about 30 walkers from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan. Once on the trail we all spread out. Some took off at a brisk pace and we didn't see them until the dinnertime. Most of us, however, leap-frogged along the trail, stopping to take photos and marvel at vistas and wildlife. <br /><br />Colin and Liam took off ahead of us with their new friend Lucy, an 11-year-old from California. Doug and I walked quietly along, just the two of us. We were amazed. No more bribing with chocolate treats and energy bars at every rest stop. The boys and Lucy were gone, almost flying down the trail. We finally caught them, when they stopped to check out a magnificent, huge red beech tree. At that point with Lucy’s parents, we set some hiking guidelines. The kids could hike ahead but had to stop before all river crossing and forks in the trail or any other unusual features. With streams every few minutes, we decided they wouldn’t get too far ahead.<br /><br />Day 2 was nine miles of easy walking, a warm up for the climb over McKinnon Pass on Day 3. It was also Colin’s longest day of walking ever! Most of the day we walked sheltered in the beech forest alongside the Clinton River. To reach Pompolona Lodge, we climbed into grasslands passing through many avalanche paths. The U-shape canyon walls loomed on each side and were striped with waterfalls.<br /><br />Pompolona Lodge perched on the side of the canyon in the treetops was my favorite lodge. At night tucked in out bunk beds, Doug told us a “ghost” story of sharing a bunk bed with his brother Dan and of vomiting on Dan from the top bunk. We fell asleep to that cuddly image.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-26575601337935479432009-12-28T15:09:00.012+13:002009-12-29T10:35:16.275+13:00Holiday warm-up on the Milford Track<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5420218540093526769%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCOTQlNyvsd_vGA%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br />With Doug traveling for most of the last month, we all wanted some time together. So at the last minute, we decided to kick off the holiday season with a tramp along the <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/southland/te-anau-area/milford-track//">Milford Track</a>. You can hike the track independently or walk the track as part of a guided <a href="http://www.ultimatehikes.co.nz/">Ultimate Hikes</a> group. Reservations for independent walkers usually have to be made months to a year in advance. We booked just several days in advance with Ultimate Hikes. My sister had told me a while back about a new camping trend call<font style="font-style: italic;"> glamping</font> (a.k.a. glamorous camping). Walking with Ultimate Hikes is definitely glamping. All we carried was a change clothes, a few toiletries, our lunch and water bottle. Everything else was waiting for us in each hut. Along the trail the guides set up rest stops with hot drinks and soup. Each night our family shared a bunk room. There were hot showers. And sinks to wash hiking clothes and amazing drying rooms that dried our hiking clothes by bedtime. After a hot shower, we'd head to the lodge for a beer and snack to play games, chat and read until dinner.<br /><br />The first day we joined our group in Queenstown for the bus ride to Te Anau. In Te Anau we boarded a boat to cross the lake to the trail head. I was feeling a little sheepish about the glamping. Worrying that I was softening my boys for "real" camping. Reminding myself that I had been an "A" camper in high school and didn't need to be babysat by guides. <br /><br />We were heading deep into the Fiordland National Park. Our final destination would be Milford Sound, which has an average annual rainfall of more than 22 feet. I was actually amazed that Doug had agreed to the hike. Doug hates hiking in the rain and getting wet. But he succumbed to the lure of the wild lush landscape, abundant waterfalls, hidden lakes and U-shaped glacial valleys.<br /><br />Rain was pouring down as the boat reached the trail head. All walkers pulled out their rain jackets. Almost everyone was off the boat and I had Colin and Liam zipped up in full rain gear. Doug was missing. I found him on the corner of the boat deck frantically pulling everything out of his pack. With round, panicked eyes he turned and gasped, "I can't find my rain jacket! It isn't in my bag." I didn't know what to do. I wanted to laugh or run far away. Instead, I prudently checked through the rest of our packs. No rain coat. In fact, we haven't found Doug's rain coat to this day! Doug took off at a very brisk pace for the first hut. Luckily the first day's hike was all of a mile. At Glade House, one of the guides magically appeared with an extra raincoat. I quickly changed my tune and decided that maybe a little bit of babysitting/coddling would be okay.<br /><br /><font style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Merry Christmas!</font><br /><font style="font-style: italic;">With the holidays, we are thinking of our family and friends spread far and wide. We hope you the new year brings you laughter and peace.</font>Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-22853083153042068222009-09-05T00:06:00.010+12:002009-09-05T00:31:16.435+12:00NZ One<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZupzACBwq4gUg89-LYH6rlv-zxD2TIRaYmPnLghJQsoWKLTdB_Hmna09O9KieljmGtvsJ3QbU1co-3L7qK5SI3Px5lIeIRXRC-uUzP6zpNoKdDcw3YHocr2Ee4o3G5-9KQfcxFtifm8E/s1600-h/photo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZupzACBwq4gUg89-LYH6rlv-zxD2TIRaYmPnLghJQsoWKLTdB_Hmna09O9KieljmGtvsJ3QbU1co-3L7qK5SI3Px5lIeIRXRC-uUzP6zpNoKdDcw3YHocr2Ee4o3G5-9KQfcxFtifm8E/s320/photo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377587994967400786" /></a><br />Flying out of Queenstown early Monday morning, Liam and Colin were we seated right in front of NZ Prime Minister John Key. Liam introduced himself and Colin to Mr. Key. They chatted about their trip. Mr. Key was genuine and engaged with the boys and recommended some sites in Singapore that his own sons enjoy. As we were disembarking the plane, Mr. Key gave each boy a silver fern pin. Walking to our next flight Liam announced if he were old enough to vote he would vote for Mr. Key.<br /><br />We decided that flying with Mr. Key was an auspicious beginning for our round the world trip, as if we had been flying on the NZ version of Air Force One.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-41494858376103340282009-08-07T08:58:00.006+12:002009-08-07T12:18:17.367+12:00Happy 9th Birthday Colin!<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5366950568274246801%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCMLO_JnHwY_DYw%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />Colin had two Birthday parties. First he took his best mate Cole out on the town. The played mini-golf, hung out in the video arcade and ate pizza and ice cream. (Unfortunately Liam couldn't join his brother because he was home with the flu. Bummer.)<br /><br />On Colin's real birthday, he woke early to find the Easter Bunny had unexpectedly visited and set up a treasure hunt. It was a little out of season but Colin took it in stride. Liam was feeling better and joined in too.<br /><br />Colin planned the meals for the whole day. <br /><br />Breakfast: Happy Hens scrambled eggs, fresh baked croissants, and peaches (luckily, the hens started laying again this week)<br /><br />Lunch: Black bean burritos<br /><br />Dinner: Macaroni and cheese, big, greasy sausages (a salad was added for the rest of the family) and of course mint chocolate chip ice cream birthday cake (we had to have mint chocolate chip ice cream made at a local shop because it is not sold in local grocery stores)<br /><br />We played Life and had friends over to share the birthday cake!<br /><br />The big hit of the day were the Fart Bombs from Auntie Allison and Uncle Stephen!Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-82922342924079886732009-05-31T11:27:00.008+12:002009-05-31T12:19:36.559+12:00Sugar Plum Possum Fairy<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5341765321989015809%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCPL83fKomof57wE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>One of our neighbors, Grant McMaster, is always telling tall stories to the Kirkpatricks. For example, he told me that chicken eggs are called bumnuts. So with my newly acquired Kiwi lingo, I asked the grocer where the bumnuts were and received a startled and confused look. I returned to Grant to discover bumnuts is a word coined by Grant's grandfather and used only by Grant and his grandfather. We are all wary of any information we receive from Grant. His stories sound authentic, despite their absurdity.<br /><br />Colin and Liam have been planning a practical joke for Grant for months. To perform their joke they have been waiting to trap a possum. We still haven't caught one, but another neighbor aware of the boys' plans, who has also no doubt been the victim of a Grant joke, left a dead possum on the bench by our front door. The boys spent an evening creating a costume for their stiff creature dubbed the Sugar Plum Possum Fairy! Colin and Liam snuck down under the cover of darkness to Grant's house and positioned their fairy outside Grant's front door, terrified as the automatic garage light illuminated them. They ran all the way home. Once home they began to worry whether Grant would see the fairy possum that night. The suspense was too much for them. They snuck back to Grant's circling around the yard to avoid setting off the garage light. While Liam remained hidden in the bushes Colin raced to pound on the front door and then tore back into the bush with Liam. They didn't wait for the door to open. Grant is the type of adult that both fascinates the boys and slightly terrifies them. They love to hang out with Grant, but they can't read him. They can never discern the truth and seriousness from jokes and play with Grant. <br /><br />Both boys wait expectantly with giggles and a bit of trepidation for Grant's retaliation. Colin peaks out the front door when he wakes. The boys say they are fortunate that they can stealthily pass Grant's house, shielded from his windows by the manuka, on their way to their hens. They aren't sure what Grant's next move will be. The suspense continues uncomfortably.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-28887964748935228172009-05-28T19:55:00.006+12:002011-05-16T17:31:49.156+12:00Another NZ farming-related story<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22KcFssvGcQA3Lxw9vHRR3xrWpK8EburB-AKcIQ0ErYj67YArMwnM1Vs8sCmOfbFkhd_SvPsjE57N9RP-zU9NNTDXatRv-YsVfgpYEnhB0nNyiRQI2gJcm9GwjO3fe4vRHeSB_zBq2SI/s1600-h/2452569.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22KcFssvGcQA3Lxw9vHRR3xrWpK8EburB-AKcIQ0ErYj67YArMwnM1Vs8sCmOfbFkhd_SvPsjE57N9RP-zU9NNTDXatRv-YsVfgpYEnhB0nNyiRQI2gJcm9GwjO3fe4vRHeSB_zBq2SI/s320/2452569.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340968186763232050" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/farming/2452549/Free-goat-with-every-ute">This is a deal nobody should miss. </a>Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-79396672923633524722009-05-28T14:45:00.005+12:002009-05-28T19:53:48.963+12:00Fallen lines spark cattle combustion<a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/farming/2451966/Fallen-lines-spark-cattle-combustion#share">News story and photograph today in the Farming Section of stuff.co.nz: </a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQZvo2_dYkqcbkaoDxq8O3fJsCzmLAMOtx7pp_vBkR3H49nSZlGzZ1QteGeRkOGN887pU0a-dos0JasurwE5poNF6-9arRQs0t0rRUjRGTcermWGz_YE5TRuk1flSM8Upfn5Oszari_s/s1600-h/2451559.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQZvo2_dYkqcbkaoDxq8O3fJsCzmLAMOtx7pp_vBkR3H49nSZlGzZ1QteGeRkOGN887pU0a-dos0JasurwE5poNF6-9arRQs0t0rRUjRGTcermWGz_YE5TRuk1flSM8Upfn5Oszari_s/s320/2451559.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340745494331409714" /></a><br /><br />Wow, this is like some real life Far Side (Notice the cow on its back in upper right hand corner of Photo.)Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-19705397363543772402009-05-26T20:43:00.009+12:002009-05-26T22:20:22.264+12:00Swimming with fur seal pups<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgZJPul_yqL7LjQuNyDLoXMhS139hb5P-DULsRwGmrczHSsz_mNQmMvBPHhas8zP9UroyVcIr6OlrYPPX2CJs5OholZOmqYszzNWcFK7GYzZzRlDIsPejI-dGIPnHpwov40c1T3nOliE/s1600-h/IMG_3428.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgZJPul_yqL7LjQuNyDLoXMhS139hb5P-DULsRwGmrczHSsz_mNQmMvBPHhas8zP9UroyVcIr6OlrYPPX2CJs5OholZOmqYszzNWcFK7GYzZzRlDIsPejI-dGIPnHpwov40c1T3nOliE/s320/IMG_3428.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340062517543862114" /></a>This weekend I left my boys to fend for themselves. I came home on Sunday and noticed the pizza boxes in the recycle bin. Liam gleefully reported, "We didn't eat any meals at home. We had pizza and Turkish kebabs and ice cream!"<br /><br />While the boys were on the fast food frenzy, I was at the top of the south island, in Marahau, for a NZ UWC meeting. As a team building activity to start the weekend, we went <a href="http://www.sealswim.co.nz/">snorkeling with fur seal pups</a> in the <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/national-parks/abel-tasman/">Abel Tasman National Park</a>. Snorkeling trips are not usually offered at this time of year because the water is a wee bit chilly (12 degrees Celsius or in the low 50s Fahrenheit). I wore two pairs of long undies and two 5 mm wetsuits. With the two wetsuits, I was warm and toasty and stayed in the water about 40 minutes. <br /><br />The seal nursery was perfectly round rocky and shallow inlet of the Tonga Island Marine Reserve. A few of the inattentive moms lounging on the rocks above seemed to be the designated babysitters. The rest of the cows were off hunting. I felt as buoyant as a fur seal pup. I could barely submerge myself. While we bobbed in the nursery, the pups swam out to investigate. They reminded me of typical puppies - silly, playful and clumsy. One head-butted my stomach. I wished I had taken pictures, but I was lost in the moment rolling in the water with the pups.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-3874136807231137092009-05-21T13:55:00.007+12:002009-05-21T14:10:53.290+12:00If is going rain, could we at least have snow?It has rained every day for so long I can't remembered when it started. I am not sure how the ground here absorbs all the water. In California, we would have washed away by now. We live right on the edge of the snow line. Flakes fall and melt on contact with the ground or maybe in the air just above. The mountains are tipped in snow and then melt to green and browns about half way down to the lake.<br /><br />We all have skiing on the brain. We were racing into Queenstown early one morning last weekend. As we zoomed past a car that was pulled over on the side of the road, Liam yells "that's Natalie and Goran!" Natalie and Goran are two ski team instructors that stayed with us last winter for a while. First Natalie from Canada, then her friend Goran from Slovenia. Eventually spring arrived and Natalie headed off overseas. Goran's mom, Lidija, came to visit. Lidija and Goran left as the season ended. It ends quickly in Queenstown. One day there's snow and the next it melts. <br /><br />I guess just thinking about skiing and snow, made Liam think of our ski friends from last season. We miss them. As we drove into town, the air was cold and felt like snow. I u-turned to return to the parked car to see if we had found Natalie and Goran. As we slowed and pulled next to the car, I said Liam, "those guys don't look anything like Natalie or Goran!" They were two young guys with long hair in ponytails sitting on the back of their car at the edge of the lake, one of them strumming on his guitar looking towards the rising sun. We said hi and mentioned we had mistakenly thought they were some friends of ours. They smiled, nodded and kept playing.<br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5338087971528891601%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCNjI8qiOlJ6hrQE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-59837011786678256352009-05-20T21:04:00.004+12:002009-05-21T06:39:22.226+12:00Routeburn Hike - Day OneLast Wednesday Mom, Colin and I (Pop had to work) went on an overnight hike up the Routeburn. The Routeburn starts a couple miles above Glenorchy and heads into the mountains, ending in Milford Sound. Mom, Colin and I went only for one night so we only went to the first hut about 4.5 miles from the trailhead. The hike was slightly uphill, which I thought was nice because we had large packs. <br /><br />We left the car at 10:30, later than planned. We knew we had to hurry because a storm was suppose to come in at 1:00 or 2:00. The hike started with a bridge over a river and meandered through a beech forest, now and then crossing streams on swaying bridges. Around one third of the way, we met the river we crossed in the beginning. Walking along the river was amazing. The water was stunningly blue and there were many small waterfalls. We tramped up the river for what seemed like a century. Just about the time I wished I had not put all that weight in my pack, we crossed the river and emerged on a large, grassy plain enclosed 360 in snowy topped, jagged mountains. We knew we were close. The map showed the second river crossing was over two-thirds the way there. After hauling our bags another 25 minutes across the flats, we arrived at the hut. Yippey!<br /><br />The complex consisted of 3 summer toilets (it is winter here in N.Z.), 1 winter outhouse, the main hut and the Department of Conservation personnel hut. Inside the main hut there was 1 kitchen (without running water) the main room (3 benches and 1 fireplace) and 2 bunk rooms (each with 5 bunks).<br /><br />Free of the weight of our packs, we went down to the river and had lunch. It was the typical hiking lunch - cheese crackers and salami. It was a really good lunch due to the fact we had been hiking for 2 hours. That afternoon Colin and I played by the river while Mom napped and then did something, I do not know what. Before long the valley started to get dark, the sun blocked by one of the mountain peaks.<br /><br />We tried to start a fire and failed. The only things we could get to burn were candles and some leaves Colin found. After the fire episode we prepared diner- freeze-dried beef stroganoff. Sounds great, doesn't it? Not. Once we added water it started to resemble brown mush. It tasted OK. To cap of our excellent dinner, Mom brought out the chocolate. Yum!<br /><br />That night we slept in our sleeping bags, on foam mats, under the moon (we could only see it out the window though). I fell asleep right away.<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5333004180498838465%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCJ-i_fuDt5SEggE%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />Day 2 will be posted soon.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-40937448616281880652009-05-18T19:41:00.004+12:002009-05-18T19:52:24.551+12:00Happy Hens' egg blows away competitionHappy Hens farmers Colin and Liam compared one of their eggs to a free range, organic store bought egg and determined their egg blows away the competition! See what you think.<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5337040731306209297%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCIbX55nXy7qNMg%26hl%3Den_US" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-14708445624764951252009-05-12T11:29:00.006+12:002009-05-12T11:56:24.751+12:00Good on ya, mate!<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UFsxo8GRozg&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UFsxo8GRozg&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br />Parts of the video were shot above Moke Lake, over the hill from our house.<br /><br />Colin has already been offered his first Speights. The farm manager said he earned one after a day's work helping with lamb tailing. I took his beer and gave him a piece of chocolate instead. Luckily Colin thought it was a fair trade.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-88803554903907101082009-05-10T11:34:00.009+12:002009-05-10T12:20:51.993+12:00No, Doug didn't get tattooed<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxt1xnJuXGCQLyk9FecobGXxse5dat3Ri0R7gmegPgIDpFr-wCJxbYNQ5R_VxS2w5wZM-3P3LVSd66ozBxDSqRZDio3LKTX5pgeC6QB9ABC_rShDx_Yb8NgL1vTh3kAnXjDbvLjfLGFZc/s1600-h/DSC_0003.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 164px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxt1xnJuXGCQLyk9FecobGXxse5dat3Ri0R7gmegPgIDpFr-wCJxbYNQ5R_VxS2w5wZM-3P3LVSd66ozBxDSqRZDio3LKTX5pgeC6QB9ABC_rShDx_Yb8NgL1vTh3kAnXjDbvLjfLGFZc/s320/DSC_0003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333972412323977106" /></a>And, Carolyn has not perfected the round hickie. <br /><br />Doug is seeing an incredible chiropractor in Queenstown for a ski injury. The chiropractor sent Doug to a acupuncturist who performed this suction technique. The photo shows Doug's back after the second round of suction. The first round of suction produced much deeper and more colorful bruising and covered his entire back. This time he got a half-back treatment. According to Doug, the suction is supposed to draw dried blood out of the muscle tissue which allows the body to flush out the muscle. Doug was skeptical at first, but now admits his shoulder and back are feeling much improved! Who would have guessed Doug would be a poster-boy for alternative medicine?Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-81427607293807242672009-05-07T20:10:00.002+12:002009-05-08T10:07:15.897+12:00New Zealand Golf Open<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_2qOM1ucuKki7x7Fkw39WXcJ-tP9olruV8JNSZw4Abg3os8cDuPsVtN6xtt0It3h_WUo3rpRNJIoKDr9E42np1ROsu37khzy-NNeYEhlFU7FmrV_jt-cOrIy_X31R12SmqfCTJn9DHo/s1600-h/DSC_0006.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_2qOM1ucuKki7x7Fkw39WXcJ-tP9olruV8JNSZw4Abg3os8cDuPsVtN6xtt0It3h_WUo3rpRNJIoKDr9E42np1ROsu37khzy-NNeYEhlFU7FmrV_jt-cOrIy_X31R12SmqfCTJn9DHo/s200/DSC_0006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333207040092047090" /></a><br />You most likely thought the we gave up the blog. We didn't. We just have not updated it. Now that we have started homeschooling we will post a lot more blogs. This blog is about the <a href="http://www.nzopengolf.co.nz/">NZ Golf Open</a>.<br /><br />A few weekends ago Pop and I went to the New Zealand Golf Open which has been held in Queenstown the past 2 years. Both years it was played on a course owned by Michael Hill, owner of the jewelry store chain named Michael Hill.<br /><br />We arrived on the grounds at around 11:00 AM. After eating a small snack we went and looked around the golf course. It was as well kept as the year before, which meant tons of spectacular water features. Also the grass was mowed so low it was like a well made carpet.<br /><br />In 2008, Pop and I had discovered a spot were we where able to, with only walking a few feet, watch the golfers hit the ball in the hole and then we would watch the same golfers tee off on the the next hole. As well a having great views of the golf, we were able to collect a few golfballs. On that day alone I got 4 balls from the golfers Fisher of England, and Curtain, Bowdich and Jeffres from Australia.<br /><br />This year, after wandering around the extensive golf course we ended up in the same place we had been at the previous year. This year I only had half the luck of the last year and I only collected 2 balls. However I was excited because Joe Daley, a U.S., golfer signed his ball before he gave it to me. An Australian named McKenzie gave me my second ball.<br /><br />After the golf ball episode we wandered over the fresh grass-smelling course back to the food area and had lunch. We decided to have sushi, which was not the best but it was OK. After lunch we headed back out onto the course.<br /><br />While we were watching a golfer hit a ball, behind us a loud roar erupted, as loud as if a jumbo jet had flown overhead. When I turned around I saw a crowd of people by a hole who seemed very excited. Later we discovered that a golfer from Wales had hit a hole in one on a par 4 course. Wow!<br /><br />At that point we decided to go home because the heat of the sun on our face and shoulders was getting slightly uncomfortable. I am looking forward to next year and I hope to get more golfballs.<br /><br />Now that my blog on the Golf Open is done I have a important reminder: keep posted for more blog entries.<br /><br />Liam KirkpatrickColin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-50340308083916112192009-05-05T13:14:00.001+12:002009-05-05T13:16:54.655+12:00Sunrises and Sunsets<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5321702362627372353%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCMnig4Dtpo6qXA" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br />In this blog I will tell you what the view is like waking up and going to bed from our station in New Zealand. I think you will like this because there are some good-looking sunrises and sunsets. I did this blog so you could see what it feels like to be in New Zealand.<br /><br />This morning I woke up to see dark gray clouds right above our house, and heard the heavy tipper-tapper of rain on the roof. Tonight I looked up to see one billion stars shining bright above my head.<br /><br />This morning I looked out my window to see clouds being made orange by the blazing sun over the Remarkables. Tonight I looked outside the kitchen window to see a line of pink clouds across the Remarkables.<br /><br />This morning I looked out my window and saw white clouds covering the peaks of every mountain and the lake almost glowing blue under the clouds.<br />Tonight I felt like I could see all the stars in the whole Milky Way.<br /><br />This morning I had an early breakfast I looked outside and saw a faint orange glow behind the jagged Remarkables. Tonight I looked outside I felt I was looking a painting because the view seemed to have a faint gray glow around everything.<br /><br />This morning when I woke up and saw a dim yellow light that seemed to be a liquid. Fluffy white clouds everywhere. This night the mice in the roof woke me up. I looked out the window and saw so many stars that it looked like it was day because there was so much light.<br /><br />This morning I saw nothing but a dim blue light and no clouds. Last night I looked outside and saw no stars because there where dark black clouds everywhere.<br /><br />This morning we went to the cattle yards. As we past Lake Kirkpatrick (my favorite lake), we saw lots of steam rising from the lake. Tonight I looked up and saw 400,000,000,000,000,614,568,073,570 stars.<br /><br />The end. <br /><br />100% By Colin KirkpatrickColin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-58007474049232229432008-12-17T20:00:00.009+13:002009-05-04T21:05:56.045+12:00Sailing - Lake WakatipuI<span style="font-style:italic;"> clicked on our blog link and was stunned. We haven't blogged since 16 December. <br /><br />Well we're back - This post about spring sailing was written 17 December and I found it today sitting in my "List of posts." I guess I never posted it.</span><br /><br />Colin and Liam are taking sailing lessons at the Wakatipu Yacht Club.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fdougkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5280136852668118065%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3D4fcIFrpsXrc" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />The pictures are from the first lesson. Liam seemed to catch on immediately zooming around the bay. Colin and his mate traveled with the water current more than they sailed with the wind. They were so far away with no signs of returning that the rescue boat went to retrieve them and towed them back to the dock. Luckily Colin found the wind in subsequent lessons. Both boys can capsize and right their boats. In fact, capsizing is the highlight at the end of each lesson. The water is freezing, almost literally. All the kids wear wetsuits!<br /><br />Spring is here! Sunshine, long days and warmth - finally. My condolences to the northern hemisphere that is freezing right now. Not much you can do about it, except head south, way south! <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(Reading the last couple of lines of this entry, I realize one reason the blog went on hiatus. Summer is fleeting. Our first Queenstown summer I didn't understand the frenetic panic to play in the summer's warmth and sunshine. When our second summer began, I understood the urgency. Summer here is short and elusive. Warm days are precious. I couldn't get myself to stay inside the house and sit at the computer. Every warm summer night I headed outside to walk, ride, weed the veggie garden or just sit and watch night arrive late. Now in May, frost already dusts the paddocks in the morning and the mountains have first coat of snow. It is dark early and getting colder outside.)</span>Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-48248498443611424622008-12-16T22:12:00.004+13:002008-12-16T22:24:56.949+13:00Koromakawa - Days 4 and 5I can't believe a whole month has passed since my last post. <br /><br />Since we are on the road for the holidays in four days, I don't have time to write a full description of the rest of our Koromakawa adventure right now. I thought I would at least get the rest of the pictures uploaded. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Day 4:</span><br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fdougkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5279914884174398545%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DxD8H4rNjIZE" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Day 5:</span><br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcarolynkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5280166596474476545%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DqIqmm6OyJUo" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />It was a blissful stay with the most generous, truly friendly people.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5168606201121982871.post-81479869549967087382008-11-16T20:16:00.004+13:002008-11-16T21:26:21.730+13:00Koromakawa - Day 3<embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="288" height="192" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fdougkirkpatrick%2Falbumid%2F5267680268312151937%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3D10lFFkzcEY4" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />We were land bound on Day 3 with high winds on the sea. We had a relaxing day of reading and games - Yahtzee, Monopoly and horseshoes. Doug and I even had an afternoon nap. The boys, who have been resistant to napping since birth, quietly read while we dozed. Waking up from a lazy afternoon nap, listening to the wind and water was absolutely delicious. <br /><br />After we returned home, we read a <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/southlandtimes/4727355a6568.html">news story</a> in The Southland Times that a New Zealand woman was shipwrecked during the storm, not far from where we we staying on Ono Island.Colin, Doug, Liam & Carolynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08542987008532175088noreply@blogger.com0