The Student’s Desk

New Zealand – travelogue entry 4

Well, my time with the world’s angriest sewing machine has come to an end, much to my disappointment and I’m now at home nice and warm. I must admit, though, I did take great delight in laying down on my bed last night without having to assemble it first. Right after having to dismantle the dinning set. Civility is a good thing.

All in all, 18 days and around 3,300km added up to 1 fantastic holiday that ended far too soon. I’ve taken to think of New Zealand as like a box of chocolates – it’s best to leave some for later. Certainly when I’ve had more than my fair share of Kiwi adventure. And all this in a van that looked as though it couldn’t get to the end of a driveway – even if it was down hill!

On my way to Mt. Cook, I did some impromptu bushwalking trying to get into some waterfalls. I was successful for 1 of the 3 walks. Stairs are bad! It turned out to be a good thing that I didn’t hang around. About an hour later, it appeared a weather front had moved in, and it looked very dark from  a distance.

It was a long drive towards Mt. Cook. Especially when I had to come off the go pedal yet again for strong cross winds. I stopped for the night at a tiny town called Omarara where I found a warm welcome at the holiday park. Again, I’m astounded at how little attention Kiwis pay to my disability and just take me as they find me. The woman at the holiday park commented it was good I was getting around on my own. I responded by saying that no one is mad enough to come with me. She laughed with a manner of understanding. I find this very perplexing after visiting the disabled community in New Zealand – and I use that term deliberately, and politically. Listening to people’s experiences outside the disabled community gives the impression that the wider New Zealand community is full is discrimination. I have found that discriminatory attitudes are far less in New Zealand than what they are in Australia. I can only think of 3 explanations for this disconnect: 1) monogamous groups emphasis minor elements outside the group to justify remaining inside the group; 2) the accounts of discrimination I have heard are given within a church context, and if the philosophical presuppositions of pentecostalism are shared among other Christian traditions, this could bare some explanation. It would be interesting to survey the theological landscape of New Zealand some more; or 3) the way I present invariably blows apart any presuppositions of disability people may have, and I don’t cop the same discrimination. That is, I’m on my own, in a rented van, visiting from Australia. Not exactly what you’d expect of a ‘disabled person’. More thinking required.

Me on an Argo – scary!

Mt. Cook was an interesting experience. I went to the Sir Edmund Hillary Museum, and learned about his life. I also learned more about Mt. Cook. I joined an Argo tour in the hope of getting up close to a glacier. An Argo is an 8-wheeled ATV that can also go in the water. (See attached photo. Just when you thought I couldn’t get anymore dangerous, I have the controls! I didn’t get to drive it. It was just a pose). Before I booked, I asked about walking. I was told the track was steep, but the guide would be able to help me up. The woman said nothing about a vertical goat track! The guide was up for the challenge, but 10 steps up the track, I said, “Nah. This isn’t gonna work!” And he helped me back down. Sensing my disappointment, he made sure I got a refund on the basis of wrong information. I don’t think those who know how to get me into difficult places would not have got me up this track. It was a shocker! So, still no glacier…

A snowy evening at Mt. Cook

But Mt. Cook had a special treat for me that night. As I was about to start preparing dinner, it began snowing – proper snow! Not saga snow, not sleet, SNOW! I hadn’t seen snow fall before, so this was special. To think I had thoughts of staying in the hotel instead of camping. I would’ve missed out on this. Staying warm wasn’t a problem. I went to bed with up to 4 layers on, plus my sleeping bag and a duvet over the top. I slept soundly, provided I kept all body parts inside my sleeping bag. The next morning, I woke to find the van covered in snow and ice. A totally awesome experience. To think 36 hours later, I was going to land in Sydney with the temperature in the mid 30s. What a contrast.

The drive out to Akaroa

After Mt. Cook, I headed for Akaroa for the night and to have a quick look around. This provided a short drive for the flight out the next day. I got the impression that Akaroa is where the Christchurch yuppies hang out, and is not for the budget conscious traveller. Still, I would like to come back here, and have a good look around. Just not staying in Akaroa.

This has been an awesome, and yes, I’m going to make a big call, this has been my best holiday yet. Yes, I complained allot about the world’s angriest sewing machine, and the driving experience was compromised far more that what I had preferred. But it did provide an excellent camping experience. I put this down to the table being small and light, so it was easy to put up and pull back down. And the cushions for the bed were lighter than what was in the van I had last year. This made things so much easier. Eventually, I did get use to the noise, and driving like a grandpa. In it’s own way, the van added to the adventure. It certainly wouldn’t have been the same without it!

November 15, 2014 - Posted by Jason | Travel | New Zealand, Travel